William Todd

Ambassador William (Bill) E. Todd was appointed on June 12, 2017 as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Human Resources.

He was most recently the Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs from Jan 2017. He served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the same bureau since August 2015.

Immediately prior to this assignment, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia beginning in 2012. During his time in Cambodia he focused on the advancement of democracy, human rights, regional stability, counterterrorism and trade and investment. Ambassador Todd also directed a very successful large complex development and assistance program that improved the daily lives of the average Cambodian. He also authored a widely read weekly newspaper column called, Ask the Ambassador.

Before his appointment to Cambodia, he served as the Coordinating Director of Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. While in Afghanistan, he was responsible for all nonmilitary civilian assistance in Afghanistan, including implementation of the largest foreign assistance program and budget in U.S. history. In this capacity he also directed civilian field operations with an American staff of over 600, including 350 civilians embedded with the military in most of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and at five regional Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).

From 2008 to 2010, Ambassador Todd was the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam. During his time in Brunei, he focused on regional stability, counterterrorism, democratization, and trade and investment.

Prior to serving as Ambassador to Brunei, Ambassador Todd was the Acting Inspector General of the Department of State in 2008 and Deputy Inspector General from 2006 to 2008. In both capacities, he directed all Office of Inspector General activities, domestically and abroad, including 260 diplomatic missions in 163 countries.

From 2002 to 2006, Ambassador Todd served in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the Department of State. Over this period he served in several INL senior positions, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS), Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Civilian Police and Rule of Law Programs and for the Office of Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, as well as Executive Director and Controller. As PDAS, he was the Chief Operating Officer for global programs, including all post-conflict activities. His leadership placed him at the forefront of international programs for rule of law, police training, and counternarcotics efforts in some of the most volatile regions of the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Colombia. Ambassador Todd managed more than 4,000 employees and contractors in more than 75 theaters of operation.

Ambassador Todd has held several other senior positions within the U.S. Government. Ambassador Todd has been a career member of the Senior Service for more than 20 years. He is highly decorated and has been recognized with numerous awards throughout his career for his strong program and management skills.